The name refers to rowhouses at 45-57 West 28th between 5th and 6th Avenues (as well as several on the south side same block) which were home to a concentration of music publishers from 1890-1910. The row houses date back to the 1850-70s and are still standing. In the period before recorded music, music publishers marketed songs with printed sheet music to music halls and theaters in the area and across the country. The Tin Pan Alley name came to describe the sound and era of popular American music that lasted into the the 1940s. Composers including Irving Berlin and George M Cohan. For more history and information on how to help preserve the district, check out savetinpanalley.org From time to time, tour guides off walking tours of the area.